


Forests [Discontinued]

by orphan_account



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate universe - No Oceans, Angst, F/M, Feels, First long story oh boy, Fluff, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Multi, Sad, Supernatural AU - Freeform, im not sure if I even wanna end this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-19 19:27:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9457271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In this world, oceans don't exist.Forests do.Just like oceans, they are mysterious. They are beautiful. Breathtaking. The forest has a personality of her own.Just like oceans, it is the home to many creatures. And despite its appearance, it can be dangerous. It is dangerous. It has killed, it will kill. The deeper you go, the more danger you're prone to.How can we fight what we don't know? Someone has to give us answers....Bless the poor, unlucky souls of Jack Morrison and Ana Amari.





	1. Chapter 1

Forests were dangerous.

Vast areas that covered 70% of the world's surface, and greatly unknown. The human race has only explored 5% of them, or even less. It is dangerous to go in deep unattended, and suicidal alone. That alone intrigued scientists and explorers to no end, wanting to push the limits of danger over and over again, just to see what results it would yield, what creatures unveiled, what secrets unburied.

The very edges of a forest are commonly tourist attractions. Families go there for vacations. To take pictures, bring home wonderful memories. The gorgeous vegetation and greenery, and if you were lucky, critters like birds or rabbits that travel in groups.

It never takes away the danger that these places hold. Countless people lost. Countless people dead. It would remain dangerous, unless they know what they were facing.

And that's why the Overwatch Forest Wide Org. at Watchpoint Gibraltar decided to send Jack Morrison and Ana Amari on such an expedition, two of the best damn explorers they could ever find in hopes of bringing new light to the world.

"This is practically suicide." Jack mumbled as he shuffled through the items he stored in his backpack. The Egyptian snickered in response, slinging her own supplies over her shoulder.

"This is the chance of a lifetime. And besides, it's always different. You could’ve just turned down the position, you know."

"No! No, I mean," A sharp breath escaped his lips, and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I'm just nervous."

"You're always like this before a trip, loosen up a bit!" Ana playfully elbowed her partner before she walked towards the door. The blond stumbled after her, hastily throwing a spare camera battery into his pack before he left.

Waiting for them outside was the usual send off team.. Torbjörn was there to check and make sure that their equipment wasn't malfunctioning.

Mei and Winston were crowded around the screen, notebooks open and ready for taking notes. The former gave the duo a thumbs up. "You two are going to do fine!" She reassured.

"Thanks," Jack laughed nervously. "But that isn’t very helpful advice.."

Jesse sauntered over and leaned against Jack's shoulders, mumbling over the cigar hanging from his lips. "You're gonna do fine, boss." He drawled. "I just know it. Trust me."

"The last time Anija trusted you Jesse, you almost gave me PTSD because you said you two will be quiet."

Jesse choked on his own spit.

Genji cackled at the response given, slapping Jesse's back. "I am joking! Not really."

"S-shut yer darn trap, Genji! Not like you were any better with Dr. Zi--"

A clipboard nailed the cowboy's head with deadly accurate aim, blank scraps of paper fluttering to the floor as he yelped and clutched at his skull. "I dare you to finish that!" Angela hollered from the observation van they drove out and set up.

"You are all professionals, act like it." Satya glanced at the bickering group. "I wasn't hired to be a babysitter, I was hired to be a technician."

"Yeah, yeah," Jack nodded sheepishly. Everything was set up, what were they still waiting for--

Right. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ana exchanging words with Reinhardt and Fareeha. The big guy was out of commission because of what had happened to his eye. He also volunteered to take care of Ana's child while they were gone.

Ana smiled a wistfully and hugged Reinhardt, pressing a kiss to his cheek to which he returned with a peck on her knuckles. She then bent down and pulled Fareeha up into a hug, and the younger girl buried her face into her shoulder. It didn't take much to see that she was tearing up.

Before things could escalate any further, Ana pulled away and waved at her family. She joined Jack's side. "You ready?" She breathed, eyes glossy.

"Yeah," Jack let himself smile. "Let's go."

The both of them turned and headed off into The Forest.

**: :**

It was gorgeous.

"This is amazing," Ana brushed her hand over a blossoming batch of flowers. Overhead, birds flew lazily, some with dull feathers that matched the barks of the trees and some with startling bright plumage that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

"This is why I never get sick of seeing these kind of places."

"No kidding. Hey, take a look at this."

Ana pulled away from the plants to watch Jack hold up an iguana that looked like it had better places to be. Its scales were covered in a forest green luster that shone purple when held right. "Iguana. You don't see so many of these anymore, especially this big. Winston?"

" _Yes_ ," the comms cackled ever so slightly. The large monkey jotted down notes. " _I'm surprised they grew to be this large. Usually they're only the length of your arm."_

"I know, this one stretches all the way down my legs!"

They gave the measurements of the reptile, and it stretched 1.9 meters from head to tail. " _Testudines Iguana_ ," Mei identified. Jack took pictures, marvelling at the sight whilst Ana just kept it still for the camera.

Everyone watched as it scurried off along the ground, and the duo quickly trailed after it just to see where it would take them.

"Where do you think we'd set up camp?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Jack held the camera in his hands like it meant the world to him. "Tired already?"

"Hah, not a chance!"Hours passed as they walked side by side, trekking through creeks and documenting everything they found. The excited squeals of Fareeha over the mics was enough to make Ana laugh out loud when a particularly brazen squirrel decided to tackle Jack and drench his face in slobber. The water was as clear as it could possibly go and chilly too. Genji kept an eye on their conversation, never stopping to take a break in his writing. Despite his age and his personality, his skills as a cartographer was unparalleled.

By the time they stopped to camp, Mei and Winston have collectively written out a stack of papers that was ‘just as tall as me!’ At least, according to Fareeha. The night sky was dotted with thousands of shimmering stars. It was all the more clearer especially since they were both away from the city.

“That’s you.” Ana pointed to a particularly bright one in the sky, speaking into the comms, directed towards Winston. “And that one, a little over there… the one with a whole bunch of little ones surrounding it? That’s you, Angela.”

“What about--” Jack grunted when he nailed the last part of the tent on. He pulled back with a sigh, brushing his hair back. “What about me?”

Ana laughed as her eyes raked over the sky. Jack moved to sit beside her, before she pointed up to the sky. “That little deformed one on the side. That’s you.”

“Pfft, hey!” Jack shoved her shoulder and she laughed, similar sounds echoing back from the comms, the loudest being the booming laughter of Reinhardt. “Piss off, Ana.”

“ _Oooh, the great Jack Morrison swearing. How scandalous_.” Lena echoed. She decided to hop by after bringing everyone dinner. Honestly, scientists were supposed to be smart, but they pack everything but food.

Jack scoffed at the pilot’s voice, folding his arms behind his head as he leaned back onto the damp grass. “Oh, be quiet.”

A moment passed, before he lifted his camera and took a picture of the scenery.

The first night passed by without a problem. Jack slept early while Ana kept watch for any dangerous creatures that might wander by. All was peaceful, even as the sun rose and they packed up, ready for another journey deeper into the woods.

And oh, what a sight it was. Animals and critters swarmed the area and Jack took countless photos whilst the scientists kept notes. The tamed trees that bordered the area gave way to wilder vegetation, unmanned vines hanging off from the trees like nature’s form of decoration.

A s they rested near a creek that night, fireflies drifted by in a steady line. The duo kept the GoPro cameras pointed towards the beautiful sight. Once again, Jack’s camera took off, burning the picture into his memory drive, capturing the dots of light that danced in the moonlight.

They fell asleep to the sound of crickets and Genji’s karaoke skills, with the taste of wild game still heavy on their tongues.

It was on the third day, when things took a dive for the worst.

**: :**

They arrived at the entrance of a tunnel that seemed to stretch for miles on either side of them, a barrier that never ended. Lena sucked in a deep breath through her teeth. _“Oooh, that’s gonna be a problem, innit?”_

“Yeah. Only way through is in.” Ana observed. The sound of Genji’s pencil scratching on paper seemed to be louder than normal as the group debated on their next course of action.

“... I say we go in.” Jack finally suggested, turning his head towards Ana. “What do you say?”

Genji nodded slightly. “ _Well, it would take a long time to get around it… and, well, you two are explorers.”_

That seemed to do the trick. They unanimously began to walk into the cavern, and the light from the entrance slowly faded away, keeping close to the opening as if it were afraid of whatever resided in it.

Satya spoke up when the camera automatically switched to Night Vision. " _Angler territory. Be careful."_

"We will." Jack switched on his torch. A beam of light cut through the darkness. It was then joined by Ana’s torchlight as well. They were careful to keep their voices down as they walked through the pitch black tunnel.

Nothing was wrong at first but it didn’t stop them from being on high alert. At least, not until Ana walked face first into a spider web that was filled with corpses of birds and snakes alike.

"Jesus--" She spat, clawing at the white strings that stuck to her hair like glue. Jack tensed as he looked over the still sticky web.

The corpses were drained but they haven't decayed much. One of them was dripping a sick mix of body fluids and blood, a slow, constant stream of death.

Which only meant one thing, the web was fresh.

" _Jack_ ," Worry was practically dropping in every word Jesse spoke. " _Ya know what that means, ya both need ta git."_

"Ana, we need to go. Now." Jack quickly brushed the web off, Ana's eyes screwed shut as well, not wanting to get anything into them and irritate them. They knew what it meant alright. Spiders were deadly, even more so if they had a leader.

Jack grabbed Ana's arm and tugged her away, just before he tripped over something.

"What the hell," The photographer rasped and turned his light onto the offending obstacle. Ana inhaled sharply through her teeth when it reflected the corpse of a man.

The corpse of a man... that wore the same badge as they did across his shirt.

Jack reeled back from the sight of the man's name stamped across the worn steel like a death sentence, speckled with dried blood and dirt. It was the only thing that reflected light in the dark cavern, aside from the crushed chitin of various spiders and the ring on his fourth finger.

' **GERARD LACROIX'**

His eyes were missing its soft blue hue. In fact, they were gone completely. Two empty black sockets framed by rotting skin that was half chewed and spat out. His sandy blonde hair was reduced to dirt caked strands. Everything below his rib cage was emptied out, and whatever that wasn't eaten was weathered away and decayed.

Acid burned the back of Jack's throat at the gruesome sight and Ana grimaced. "It's been almost 3 weeks, he-- Christ, he's been here all this time?!"

Over the comms, the deathly silence continued, save for the muffled sobbing that was bound to come from Lena. " _God, oh god no, please-- no-"_

His nose stung from the smell and Jack took a step away. "He-- yeah, he's been missing for eighteen days... w-wait, what about Amélie...?"

The both of them stood still when the chattering around them ceased. The silence was deafening. Every noise they made sounded like drums pounding in their ears.

 _"... It's the Theridiidae, get out."_ Mei's voice rose. " _Get out, now!"_

They didn't need any further prompt for them to take off running towards the end of the cavern.

Suddenly, the chatter increased tenfold. Hissing and clicking of pincers that could barely be heard over the roar of blood in their ears. Jack's hypersensitive hearing only fed his paranoia in ways his sight couldn't. His heart was pounding so loud in his rib cage it was a wonder Ana couldn't hear it.

Though it only skipped a beat when Ana's hand was abruptly torn out of his grip with a yell. Shouts of 'ANA!' echoed over the fizzing comms. Jack spun on his heel, terrified. What--

"JACK-- FUCK!"

The soldier's fingers closed around a large rock and she tried to smash in the spider's head from where it's pitchers sank into her shoe. The chitin on its head split open with a sickening crack, and she scrambled out of its grip, the corpse just as large as a Great Dane. Jack hauled her up by the arms and they both stumbled away from the scene. More spiders poured from the openings of the cavern.

And amongst them? A large figure. It was the same size-- no, bigger than a human. The Theridiidae. Ana didn't dare to look back, she couldn't afford to; but Jack did. He ran backwards for two moments, he just needed two moments...--

Click!

The camera emptied a flash when Jack took the picture, and it swung from his neck when Ana yanked him forward by the straps of his bag. "No fucking time for pictures, Morrison! Get out of here--"

The Theridiidae lunged forward with a speed that couldn't be compared to, and it tackled Ana straight away. The blonde couldn't yell a warning, he didn't have time to before the monstrosity of a creature slashed across Ana's face. She let loose a scream that made Jack's blood run cold.

"Ana!" Jack grasped for something, anything, and he pulled a gun out of his grip, a cal .50 desert eagle. He fired once, twice, emptied the entire gun, the noise deafening his ears and leaving them ringing. However, it did the trick. The beast jerked back from the impact and crashed to the floor with an inhuman shriek, wounded, but still alive.

He surged forward and tried to pull Ana up, but she was desperately holding her eye. "I-- It hurts--" She hissed. Nevertheless, she followed the lead of the photographer.

With no other option left but to run, the duo tried to make it out as fast as they could, leaving behind the chilling yowls of pain as spiders nipped at their heels.

**: :**

Winston was consoling Lena as she sat there, shivering, trying to bring her back to reality as she experienced disassociation from the sight of Gérard's cold, dead corpse. Jesse was nervously chewing on the end of his pen, a nervous tic he had. He was desperate for a smoke.

"Gérard Lacroix," Angela read aloud with a shaking voice. "Missing during a short trip in, along with Amélie Lacroix. Both MIA, assumed KIA." She uncapped her pen and scribbled down notes next to it. Gerard - Dead. Amélie...

She didn't want to write this down.

" _Doc_ ," Jack spoke through the comm. The duo set up camp for the night, and Ana had disabled her camera and comm so she could have some privacy. The camera sat on a makeshift desk, viewing Jack's battered, tired face as he frowned at his camera. " _I'm sending the picture over via. Holo, take a look at this."_

Within moments, the picture was projected onto a third screen nearby. Even with the low quality it has, the figures inside were unmistakeable. Lena choked back another sob.

A black cavern with countless of spiders dotting the walls, and right in the middle was the Theridiidae. The flash flare bounced off of its carapace, casting a ghostly light onto its face.

The upper body was one of a woman with locks of jet black hair that was impossible to mistaken for anyone else, teeth bared as if she was about to lunge for the camera, fangs far too wide to fit in her jaw jutting out grotesquely. Her eyes were hard to distinguish, the blur and flash giving it the illusion of a white glow instead. The light gleamed off of the badge on her chest, and the identical ring on her fourth finger.

And the lower body was one of an Arachne. Abdomen, at least. Six legs protruded out of the side of the beast, fuzzy and pixelated on the screen.

"... Lacroix..." Mei whispered, before she lowered her gaze. "... the Theridiidae commonly uses bodies of other animals as… hosts, of sorts. They'll usually find another vessel when it is destroyed. It hooks onto the nervous system of the still-alive creature. And, I guess..." She swallowed nervously.

Everyone was silent. Ana was the first to break it when she stepped into the tent. Her eye was wrapped up cleanly, and she kept her hand over it. " _So do we call this mission off?_ " She asked dully.

"Yes," Winston instantly agreed. "You two are coming home first thing in the morning. I don't want you two getting any more injured."

The silent plead underlying the message was clear enough: _I don't want you two to end up like the Lacroix's._

"... Get some rest, loves." Lena finally spoke up, eyes red. It was clear that she was one of the few most shaken about the incident, and who could blame her? The Lacroix's were her closest friends. Hell, Amélie was the one who introduced Lena to Emily. "You'll need it for the trip home."

Ana nodded, before she leaned in closer to the camera. " _How... how's Fareeha? And you guys?"_

Sensing that this was more of a private conversation, Jack left the scene before he could be intruding. He slipped into his own sleeping bag and tried to block out the noise.

Jesse spat out his pen. “Reinhardt left this afternoon before the, uh, the attack happened." He muttered. “T’aint right for lil’ Fareeha ta be scared like that.”

She sighed in mild relief and visibly let her shoulders slump. “ _Thank you._ ” She muttered, before she turned the camera so it showed more of the inside of the tent. “ _I’ll keep this on. You guys get some rest, too.”_

“Will do, ma’am.” Jesse glanced to the side. Angela turned, before she slipped into the trailer, followed by Lena. One by one, they shuffled back to their respective beds, all except for the cowboy.

“... ya keep yourselves safe, out there. Alright?” A glossy sheen overtook his eyes, and he took in a deep breath. Even if Ana couldn’t see it, Jesse still took off his hat and held it in front of his chest. “Promise me.”

“ _I’ll try, Jesse. I’ll get back in one piece, I promise.”_

“Right. I’ll keep watch, see if there’s anythin’ out for ya.”

The Egyptian nodded. She shuffled out of her seat and quickly dozed off in her sleeping bag. At least, it seemed like it. McCree sighed and tightened his grip on his hat.

“... please, make it back safe…”

**: :**

The next morning, they were prepared and ready to leave the forest without the intent of coming back.

The trip back was grim. Reinhardt had received news on what happened. Fareeha couldn’t understand why her caretaker was stifling tears and had his shoulders tightly wounded together. Emily held Lena as they both sat in front of the screen, seeing through the GoPro cameras attached to their shoulders.

Most of the sounds that filled the comms that day were wildlife and pens and pencils scratching on paper. Not even Genji dared to make jokes - the mood was too serious for any sort of fooling about.

Their progress was slowed because of Ana. Constantly, throughout the day, low curses in Egyptian floated through due to the pain in her left eye. Jack tried to approach her on multiple occasions, but she would wave him off, or ignore him entirely.

Was it possible for Jack to feel even worse than he has? Definitely. He combed his hand through his hair whilst they took a different route. The trees grew wider apart as they moved, vines drooping steeper and steeper. Jack didn’t miss the chance to snap pictures, even when the situation didn’t call for it.

His ears buzzed for a moment or two, and Jack paused. Why did they ring so much? He wasn’t hearing anything odd.

… He wasn’t hearing anything at all.

It wasn't the sudden silence that instantly drowned them and heightened their senses, like the one back in the cavern. No, it was gradual, luring them into a false sense of security. He bristled in defence.

“Ana,” He muttered lowly. “Guys? Something’s off…”

She paused in her steps. “What now?” She said, agitated. “You’re gonna ask about my freakin’ eye again?”

“No, listen.” He whispered.

Ana blinked in surprise, before she actually tried to listen out for any sounds of wildlife around her. Nothing. Her visible eye widened and she made the silent gesture of ‘WHAT THE HELL’

Jack replied with a helpless shrug, pointing behind him in an attempt to get the message across. ‘We need to leave. Danger.’

They backtracked down a few steps, carefully trying to get as far away from the clearing as they possibly could.

When Jack was younger, his father used to set up bear traps around the edges of the farm, since his house was located near a forest. The gleam of metal teeth was enough to keep most creatures away, both humans and animals.

He was reminded of exactly that as he stared into the hungry maw of a wolf that was just as big as the trailer Angela drove out.

“JACK, RUN!"

The white wolf let out an absolutely piercing howl that chilled him to his bones. Snapping out of his panic, he scrambled up and took off as fast as he could, grabbing his camera as he did. Ana yanked him forward by the straps of his bag.

It was hard to stop the yell of surprise when yet another two wolves appeared, answering to their brethren's call for blood. Their teeth gleamed, yellow and stained red, and it was almost as bright as their eyes.

Ana spat curses and made a sharp turn amongst the trees. "No, fuck--" She hissed. Spiders were one thing, but this? This was an entirely different situation entirely! And Jack was-- "MORRISON, STOP TAKING PICTURES HOLY FUCK!"

Jack couldn't help it; despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he needed to take one. At least one. Something, anything. The device clicked when yet another picture was taken. "Go, I'll distract them!"

"I'm not leaving you, asshole!" Ana pulled even harder on Jack's shoulder, and he spun around and focused on running as fast as she did.

A great shadow passed over their forms and landed in front of them with an ominous thud. The two of them skied to a stop.

The obvious alpha of the pack straightened and snapped its jaws right where Ana was standing, if Jack hadn't tackled her out of the way. Her bandage had come undone to show her milky white eye, panic stricken and blind, oh so blind.

The second wolf lunged, and Ana shoved Jack out of the way, sending the both of them propelling in different directions. It howled in pain when it’s muzzle clamped around a root in the ground, its teeth getting stuck in the surface when sap leaked out and filled its mouth with a sickly sweet substance.

Ana scrambled up and ran, Jack doing the same, as the remaining two wolves bounded after their kill for the day.

Jack weaved through the trees, heels digging into the ground. The ground shook with every heavy step the canine took. Slobber dribbled along the ground. He could feel the wolf breathing down his neck, all too ready to sink its teeth into his body.

For goodness sake, why now? Why now, when they were so close to getting out?! His lungs ached for air. Adrenaline spurred his actions on. The concerned screams of his teammate's didn't register in his mind.

Ana yelped as she stumbled. With her sight impaired, she couldn't run as fast. Branches broke and whipped into her skin, leaving angry red welts etched into her body.

Jack screamed when the wolf rammed into him, pressing him down onto the floor with a huge paw. He felt his ribs creak, then snap under the weight. He choked out a groan. He was dead, he was so dead, and he clutched at the paw on his chest while he tried to ignore the smell of decay and the drool that dripped onto his forehead. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to do anything.

Ana was having her own problems, but it was by chance that she charged at the wolf still preoccupied with Jack, and slid right under the beast. The canine pursuing Ana followed and rammed into its packmate, earning a yelp from the alpha who snapped his jaws just a second too early. His teeth ripped into Jack’s skin, missing anything vital by mere centimetres, and Jack screamed out once more.

Blood trickled down his face as the two wolves bared their fangs at each other, fighting over who gets to claim both, and she took the chance to try to drag Jack away. Mind hazy with pain, he could only stumble limply after her, hands over the long gashes the wolf’s sharp teeth caused.

“Jack, we have to go--” Ana begged, urging him to hurry. He nodded a few times, before his legs gave way and he tumbled to the ground. “JACK!”

It was too much. The stabbing pain in his side, his undoubtedly broken leg, his sudden blindness from the blood covering his eyes and filling his mouth with the coppery, bitter metallic taste. “Go without me, please, Ana.”

“No! You haul your ass right now, Morrison!” Ana pulled him up the best she could, which wasn't much, and it only let Ana pull Jack under the shelter of a tree a little more.

Jac’s trembling hands grasped at his camera, and he haphazardly nudged it into Ana’s grip. “G-Give this to Mei, for me…”

“I’M NOT LEAVING YOU HERE TO DIE! All you have are broken ribs and, oh god--” She tried not to flinch when the wolves snapped their attention back to the duo. “-- when we make it out, you’re going to live! You hear me?!”

Wasn't it odd, that the comms didn't seem to work right about now? Maybe he couldn't hear the shout of his friends. Maybe he was going deaf. Jack didn't really know.

“Go,” It would lucky enough if one of them survived an encounter with a wolf, and Jack knew that. The both of them did. He was giving himself up as bait for a chance for Ana to live. “Fareeha needs you,”

“For fuck’s sake, Jack--” Ana shoved her hand into Jack’s bag and rummaged around until she got a hold of the gun that he had use against the spiders, and she reloaded it, hovering in front of his broken body protectively. “COME GET SOME, YOU ASSHOLES!”

He couldn't register the ringing sounds of gunshots, nor the yelp of fear when a sudden chill entered the atmosphere.

All he saw was a blurry silhouette of Ana crumpling after a blow to the head before he passed out as well.


	2. Chapter 2

“... nngh…”

“Stay down, you’re wounded.”

A warm hand gripped Jack’s upper arm, far too large and calloused to belong to Ana. Jack tried to pry open his eyes but they were heavier than stones at this rate. And so he drifted off into unconsciousness once more.

**: :**

The second time Jack woke up, it was because of Ana’s voice.

“... can't be serious. Give it back!”

“I’ll give them back to you once your buddy wakes up. I’d rather not have a possible weapon on you.” It was the same voice that he heard, deep and gravelly. Ana sighed sharply as he continued. “There's no point, anyways. I doubt you two can make it out alive with or without them.”

“Do you know,” She hissed venomously. “How many people are waiting for us there?! My daughter needs me!”

“You’re not gonna go back. You’ll die out there.” The man deadpanned. A shuffle and a thump, like someone was shoved backwards. Stop fighting, Jack tried to rasp. Stop… fighting.

His hand twitched. He tried to protest, but all that came out was something akin to a raspy croak. He cracked his eyes open.

In an instant, his vision was filled with Ana’s worried face, her eye… Her eye neatly bandaged with a sort of expertise that neither of them held. “Jack! Are you okay?”

“Ah-- yeah, s…sorta…?” His throat was parched and scratchy. He tried to sit up. It took him more than once to do so, the animal pelt falling off of his shoulders.

… where the hell was he, some sort of witch’s cottage from a children’s story book?

It sure seemed like it. The room’s walls were _grown_ into its shape, not nailed in with planks. Just one massive smooth wooden surface with a ball of light fuzzing around the top, the small flame casting shadows, and… burning surprisingly bright. Just like the one used to cover him, a large pelt from an unknown beast was draped across the floor, along with a makeshift table and some furnitures. The fireplace cackled softly.

A figure hovered behind Ana, expression hidden behind an owl-esque mask. “Good. You're awake.” He turned on his heel and held out a bowl of water. “Drink.”

Ana didn't block his path, and Jack was too weak to protest, so he just reached out and grasped at the bowl, doing as the man said. His chest felt tight, like it was bandaged. It probably was. So were his arms, and his face…

Jack got his answer when the corners of his lips stung like crap.

“Ow, ow,” He hissed, tipping the contents of the bowl as fast as he could into his mouth so that the pain would lessen. Jack traced a thumb over his lip, following the closed wound, and over the thread like material that stitched them together. “... thank you, uh…”

“He insists on going by Reaper.” Ana deadpanned. Reaper crossed his arms over his chest, shifting the dark green cloak around his shoulders a little more. Even his outfit seems connected with nature, barks and leaves grown in elegant curves to fit his arms and chest like armour, vines around his waist acting as a makeshift belt--

Jack coughed and moved his eyes a little higher.

“Where… are we?”

Reaper clicked his tongue. “Amari, you explain to him. I’m not going through this entire conversation again.”

Jack sat up just a little higher when Ana shifted. “Well, what do you remember?”

“I…” His head pounded. “... uh, I remember getting chased by wolves, then one of ‘em stepped on me.”

“Pretty much.” She glanced at Reaper when he walked straight out of the room, smoke trailing from the hem of his cloak and spreading on the floor like a dark blanket before it dissipated. “Then he found us and took us here. Wasn't the only thing he took, he confiscated our comms and our items. Everything.”

“No, wait, how is he here? Is he even human, can we trust him? Where are we?” Jack rattled off, words ever so slightly slurred due to the split in his lip. “I don't-- I don't get it, why would he help us? Can we get out?”

Her helpless shrug only fuelled his curiosity and alarm. “How long was I out?”

“By my estimation? I think… two days.”

“Two-- _Two days?!”_

“That guy put you under, said to let your body adjust to the pain before you wake up. Not sure what he drugged you with but it worked pretty damn well.” Ana frowned. “Which makes me worry about how long _I_ was out for. Could’a been longer than that.”

They sat in silence as they reviewed the situation, broken when Reaper returned with both of their bags. He set them onto the floor.

“Here’s your things, and I took away your guns.” He muttered as Ana hurriedly rummaged through whatever items she brought along with her. True to his word, all of their potential weapons were gone. Knives, guns, even the bullets. She scoffed and shoved her bag aside.

“So where are our comms?”

His stance shifted. “Comms?”

“Yeah. Our communicators.”

There was a moment of silence where Reaper stood silently, before he spoke up, a little hesitantly. “... what’s a communicator?”

It was understandable as to how he wouldn't know what something like this was, but Jack couldn't help but let a snort escape his lips. He practically grew up around technology like this, it was odd seeing people so clueless about something as simple as a communicator. Ana had the same idea, glancing at the photographer for good measure.

“It’s the small black things you found in our ears.” Ana explained. “Each is about the size of your thumb? It allows you to communicate with others over a long distance for a long time. It hooks up to a system that broadcasts it to your team.”

His stance shifted into one of surprise, before Reaper nodded and left to go get it, muttering under his breath.

The moment he left, Ana let herself laugh, not bothering to stifle it even when Jack pushed at her shoulder in a chiding manner. “What? It's ridiculous how he doesn't know.”

“ _You're_ ridiculous.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Jack shifted through his own bag, gasping in relief when his camera was found. He flipped it open and switched it on, scanning through the photos.

The most recent few just involved a few indistinct blurs, a mix of white and green and red that made his wound ache all the more, and amongst those the gleam of fangs were clear enough. Before that, some images, then Amélie, then the scenery. Nothing was out of the usual.

Ana crossed her arms. “How’s your face?”

“Could be better.” He set the camera down onto his lap and traced over the scars again. His leg was set in a traditional splint, ropes binding sanded wood together to keep his bones still. “What about your eye?”

Ana mimicked his movements. “He knows how to treat a wound.” Was her vague answer.

“Oh…” Jack laid down again, bringing an arm up to cover his eyes. Two days. How would his friends react? Were they even aware that they're alive? Jesse? Fareeha? Mei, Winston…?

Two comms dropped onto Jack’s lap, and Reaper crossed his arms in a disgruntled manner, a hint of black smoke tumbling from under his mask. “There.”

Jack blinked.

This guy… wasn't human, was he?

Nevertheless, they snatched up the comms and jammed them into their ears, sharing a glance with each other before Ana switched it on. “Guys, come in. Can you guys hear me?”

“Reinhardt, Jesse, Angela!” Jack added.

Nothing. Nothing except for the constant stream of static that blocked the channels. Jack slumped. This far out into the forest, of course the signal would have been too weak to pick up.

… how far deep were they into the forest?

Reaper huffed softly. “I’m going out, I’ll be back in a bit. Don't! Touch anything.” He warned before leaving the duo alone.

“... okay, who is he?” Jack whispered harshly, blue eyes flickering towards the doorway he disappeared through.

Ana shrugged. “Or rather, _what_ is he? He acts human. Sounds human, too, but he’s got this black smoke coming out from under his cloak.”

They could both jump to conclusions, of course. What if he was a creature of folklore? Tree nymphs that dwell amongst the vegetation and the ground, wings glittering in a variety of different colours. River dryads that sing deadly songs and lure unsuspecting humans into their grips where they were never seen again. Lycans who constantly drifted between the two alternative forms, one of a man and the other a beast. Creature of folklore that have been rumoured to be true, and that they were living amongst humans even now…?

“... we’re idiots, aren't we? You can't honestly believe that.” Ana questioned softly.

Jack said nothing. The both of them didn't know what to say, what to think. Finally, Jack moved to get out of bed, wincing when his foot shifted awkwardly. The pain was dull, but it would pass. “And what kind of a name is reaper? Did he just pick a name out of the edge box or something?”

“Careful,” Ana helped him stand. “Your ribs are broken, dumbass. And who knows? Sure gives off the vibe.”

He sucked in a deep breath through his teeth when pain flared in his chest. “Ah-- yeah, being careful… so we have no way of contacting the outside… and we have limited supplies. Assuming Reaper gives back our weapons and some tools, we still have our injuries to deal with.” He straightened cautiously, keeping his back straight, and he grimaced again. “I’m a liability.”

“Not if I can help it. Once we get better, we’re heading back out. Well, if Reaper would even let us…”

A double take was given. “Let us? He wants us to stay?”

“He insists that we’ll die if we head out.” Ana brushed her hair back. Her eye gleamed. “But I’ll be damned if he stops us. Let's go get our weapons back.”

**: :**

The both of them wandered through the cottage- house… thing. There were no doors as far as anyone was concerned, only a curtain of vines that blocked off room to room. They spotted the hem of Reaper’s cloak fluttering behind a tree when they pushed aside a bunch of flowering greens.

“There!” Ana made sure Jack could keep up with her brisk pace. His legs were wobbly, unstable, but they did the job. They walked through the trees, and Jack instantly regretted not bringing his camera. Though, Ana wasn’t keen on staying to take pictures.

Ana cupped her mouth. “Hey, stop!” She yelled, keeping Reaper in her sights whilst they moved closer. “Hold on a minute--”

He turned when the duo hobbled up to him, smoke continuously tumbling over his shoulder, and the movement revealed a human girl that was hidden behind his large frame.

Or, rather, she would be human if she didn't have a pair of pointed ears and lilac eyes so bright they seemed to glow.

“You two?” Reaper growled, stalking towards them. “I told you two to stay put, you’re still recovering-”

“Ah, they’re awake!” The girl exclaimed, drifting closer. Her feet never touched the ground, hovering just an inch above. “Was that what you were about to tell me? Humans, right?”

“Sombra, please, now is _not_ the time-”

“Shh, just let me see them!” She slapped Reaper in the arm with a gloved hand and a giggle.

The nymph clad in purple circled rapidly around Jack, her form blurring whilst the latter clumsily attempted to keep up. “Hm, never seen someone like you before.” She sang as she slowed to a stop. “Ey, papi. Not too bad looking, eh? ‘Cept for the scars but I think that just adds to his rugged look.”

“Dios mio.” Reaper rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Honestly. Sombra, meet Morrison and Amari. Amari, Morrison, Sombra.”

“Hola!” Sombra grinned and curled her fingers in a manner that could be seen as either elegant or mischievous. Jack didn’t know what to think. Apparently, neither did Ana, because she was standing just as awkwardly as him.

“... You guys speak Spanish?” She finally managed to ask. “And nymphs are real?”

“Ah, maybe!” She shrugged. Lilac sparkles drifted behind her like a pixelated trail, blinking in and out of existence. “We are real! And you tend to pick up lots of languages with books, but Ga--”

They weren’t sure what she was supposed to say, but Reaper slamming his fist down onto her head wasn’t the response they expected. Sombra wailed and clutched at her skull. “OW! What the hell, you stupid old man!”

“Don’t you have someone else to bother?” He rumbled.

“Sure, sure,” She said, moving uncomfortably close to Ana for a moment- before her finger tapped her nose gently. “Boop!”

And just like that, she was gone. Reaper sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, thick black smoke spilling over his shoulders and rolling across the ground. Jack blinked owlishly.

“What just happened?”

“You met one of the more friendly creatures here. Heh, if she can even be considered a creature.” They could practically feel him rolling his eyes under the mask he wore. “You two should be resting back in the house.”

“We want--”  
  
“She wants her weapons back. It’ll be nice to have something to defend ourselves with.” Jack butted in, ignoring Ana’s withering glare that burned holes at the back of his skull.

“You’ll get them back once I know I can trust you.”

Something seemed to snap in Ana, and she pulled away from Jack, leaving him to support himself on a nearby tree. “I know we’ve had this conversation a million times, but we are going to fucking leave this place! You hear me?!”

“And like I’ve said; you two will die out there!” He growled back with equal amount of ferocity, clawed gauntlets curling into fists. Reaper dragged his fingers down his mask, before he grasped both of their shoulders. “And you two will die here. By my hands. If you don’t move your asses and get some goddamn rest.”

**: :**

Time really seemed to fly. Every single hour passed with Ana growing increasingly restless, pacing back and forth endlessly until Jack was sure she was wearing a hole in the wooden floor. At night, they slept in the same room Jack woken up in, on the makeshift cot with an animal pelt to fend off the chilling cold.

They never ate together, either. Reaper usually got back some meat and fruits that neither of them recognised, and they cooked together (“Jesus, Morrison, are you just naturally this bad at cooking? Christ…”) but never ate together. Ana cursed under her breath every time he left. “I want to see his face, dammit,” She’d mutter.

During their stay, they grew familiar with the layout of the house. It really wasn’t as big as it seemed, though it can be a bit confusing; entrance leads to a living room, which splits off into three rooms. On the left was the room where they slept. They never had a chance to investigate the other two.

Her bandages were changed then, too, and Jack grimaced at the milky dead iris that just seemed to stare right through him, dead and unresponsive.

“But hey, you can twin up with Reinhardt.” He tried to joke.

That one got him a solid smack to the head with the empty backpack, and damn did it hurt.

The stitches on his face were taken out, too, and all that was left was the two lines that ran down his face. One across the bridge of his nose and the other over his lip. His ribs stopped aching. He could lean his weight on his leg again.

At the rate they were healing, they had talked about timing on more than one occasion. How many days have passed? It was definitely more than two weeks. One of the reasons they haven’t left yet was because they were still healing.

Another was because Jack could photograph so many things, and Ana didn’t have the heart to tell him off and focus when he had the look on his face, the one that screamed amazement and awe.

The third was because Reaper wouldn’t stop giving them things to occupy themselves with.

Maybe it was chores, maybe it was for their own enjoyment. Most of the time he asked them to skin animals he took back to the area, sometimes it was preferences of clothing. Both Ana and Jack had swapped out their current outfits for something akin to Reapers; wood and leaves that seemed to have been grown into shape.

They weren’t really sure how he got them.

Once Jack was well enough to start walking a bit more, Reaper shoved his camera into his hand, made sure Ana stayed with him, and handed the both of them off to Sombra so she could show them around the area.

“Take them back before sundown,” He warned with a side glance, sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he polished off another arrow with a sickly green fluid dripping off the tip, revealing dark coloured skin riddled with markings. “Or else the Junkers would get to them. Not even Bastion can scare them off.”

So, after Sombra smeared a black substance across each of their foreheads, (“It keeps away the insects!” Sombra explained, but with her tone of voice and the way she giggled right after they weren’t really sure whether or not to believe her) they left, following the nymph as she danced through the trees, following an invisible rhythm that only she seemed to hear.

The plants here really did seem so much more different, more exotic; it was a refreshing change from the constant shade of green than dotted the edges of the forest. Shades of all colours imaginable; purple, blue, pink, red, even the occasional neon splash. All of it was captured on Jack’s camera, though the pixelated screen would never do it justice.

The first few visits were simple; they ventured a little outside the house. Sometimes with a purpose, sometimes without. Simple things like gathering herbs or hunting animals, an easy feat accomplished by laying down traps or so. They caught a variety of animals; rabbits, birds, foxes, squirrels.

Eventually, they began to wander a little further outside. At this point, the bandages on Ana’s face were gone since the chance for an infection was low and close to none. Their worries grew about time and the dangers they faced.

On one of such a trip, Sombra was once again engaged in a conversation about each other as they trekked through the woods. Or, rather, Jack and Ana did while Sombra floated.

They abruptly paused when the trees gave way to a small clearing with a stream running through the middle. Sombra grinned and kicked the water, sending a wave splashing through the air, purple pixels dotting the mix.

“Oi, Lú! Song! There’s someone I want you two to meet! Well, two someones!”

It barely took any time for two more people to show, one hopping down from the canopy of trees above while the other literally seemed to melt into existence. The new nymph grinned, triangles printed onto her cheeks, and she radiated a childish mischief that clashed with the dryad’s calm demeanor.

“Hey, Sombra,” The male called out. His dreads cascaded down his back, eternally dripping with water, and necklaces with countless pebbles and shells hung from his neck. A tattoo fitted snugly on his shoulder, black lines weaving together to create the image of a fearsome tiger. A green loincloth accented cyan seemed to be the only actual article of clothing he wore. He gave a grin that was just about as hypnotising as his voice. “Are these the two you wanted us to meet?”

“Heck yeah,” Sombra nodded and waved an arm, the light glinting off the pink sleeve accented blue. “Jack, Ana, meet Lúcio and Hana!”

Hana laughed, stepping closer to observe them. Unlike Sombra, she chose not to hover, instead keeping her feet close to the ground. Wherever she stepped, a mixture of orange and pink. Rabbits danced at her feet, small critters that did well to stay a safe distance away from the two humans. “They’re humans, aren’t they? Yeah, I’ve heard word from Gabriel.”

Jack wondered who in the world Gabriel was, but he left the question to be asked another time. “Another two?” He asked softly.

Lúcio looked a little offended, to say the least. “Talking about us like we’re pests? I’m hurt, man!”

“Hurt is a understatement.” Hana took the opportunity to pluck a fruit from a tree and chucked it at Jack’s head, and it bounced off with a painful ‘ _THUNK_ ’ “Take that, old man!”

“I’m not even 40!” Jack yelled back incredulously, rubbing his head.

The water dryad snickered and flicked some droplets towards Hana, who grumbled and brushed it off. “You’re just salty, dude. _You’re salty~_ ” He sang absentmindedly. The water chimed along to the melody he produced, luring the rabbits just a little closer. Ana caught herself taking a step

“Wait, wait wait,” Ana cut in with a swipe downwards like she was cutting the air. “Who’s Gabriel? Another dryad, nymph?”

The three of them exchanged glances, before Hana burst into laughter, followed by Lúcio and Sombra. “You three,” She giggled. “Have been living with him, and you don’t even know his name?”

“Living-- wait, Reaper?”

Jack blinked when Lúcio nodded. The dark skinned dryad’s ears twitched in agreement, point tipped ears webbed. “Yep! Gabriel. That’s his name.”

“So what is he?” Ana questioned, happy to finally get some answers. Hana settled herself down next to Lúcio, feet dipped in the water. Frogs hopped from stone to stone.

“Psh, you can find that out for yourself,” Hana smiled. “He’s soooo dramatic.”

“Yeah, he keeps all of his ‘stuff’ in a few boxes.” Sombra waved a careless hand, sitting herself down as well. Following their example, Jack and Ana folded their legs and sat themselves in a circle. “You can find it in his room. Good luck getting in there, though. It’s the one on the right when you go into the house.”

Jack leaned forward. After days upon days of being kept in the dark, any new source of information was refreshing. “Why’s that?”

“Well, I mean, I’m not always around to his place,” Hana pulled Lúcio closer to her so that she could mess with his hair, water running down her arms when she raked her fingers through them. She tilted her head slightly. A particularly brave rabbit hopped onto Ana’s lap. “But he doesn’t let anyone into his room.”

“Do you know why he’s not letting us leave? Anything you can tell us?” Ana begged, running her fingers through the critter’s ears mindlessly.

At the question, the trio shifted uncomfortably and exchanged glances. “If you leave, you’ll die.” Lúcio finally spoke up.

“Nothing against you, amigos,” Sombra quickly cutted in. “But humans won’t survive out there. Not with how you’re built. I mean, you two should be okay if you’re in top conditions but you’re not.”

“Hah, no kidding,” Jack muttered dejectedly.

A moment passed where the silence was filled with nothing but the sound of the wind and bird chirping in the distance. Jack sneaked in three photos; one of Hana braiding Lucio’s ever damp locks, another of Ana with the rabbit, and the last one of Sombra picking at her nails.

“... a little birdie told me that he’ll be out around here in two days to pick herbs.” Lúcio chimed. “I mean, you didn’t hear it from me, of course.”

Jack and Ana shared a glance, a movement they seemed to have been able to do a lot often.

They were finally going to get some information.

**: :**

Lúcio was right; Ana and Jack both stayed behind when Reaper went out. He seemed much more busy, as well. Suddenly having to jump from feeding one mouth to three? It was odd. An easy detour into the next room was all that they needed to come face to face with a darkened area with nothing but the flickering candles to keep them company once again.

“Search the bed, I’ll check the closet.” Ana instructed, flicking on her torch. Jack fumbled with his before he did the same.

He peered under the makeshift cot, shining a light through the dark. Nothing. When he glanced at Ana, she shook her head negative. Determined, Jack felt along the floor, before his hands curled in an unnatural dip in the floor.

“Hey, help me pull this up…!”

The Egyptian was at Jack’s side in an instant, the both of them working to pull up the slab of wood. It budged, then shifted, and the duo worked it out slowly before shoving it aside.

The photographer pulled out three boxes and set them aside. They were the ones Sombra must have been talking about.

Ana scanned over the box of items, picking up a name card as she brushed aside the layer of dust that sent Jack into a coughing fit. “Gabriel Reyes.” She read aloud, “Age, 20. Explorer, o-of… Talon. Talon organisation.”

They knew what Talon was; it was a group dedicated to deforestation, something that was heavily frowned upon. But they were so large, it was near impossible for anyone to step in their way. They were planning things for the environment. What would have happened to the world they once knew?

Jack and Ana knew of the corruption that ran deep into the roots of that organisation- especially when they began attacking Blackwatch, a sister group of Overwatch.

But why was this man’s profile in this box, so carefully stored away?

Jack picked up a black beanie, and a pair of shotguns. “H-Holy crap,” He breathed. Underneath the pile of clothing were books, journals. How old were journals now, especially used for note taking? Most people used a datapad.

Jack picked up the leather bound book and snapped the lock open. The first few words were written so hastily, so panicked, that it was hard to distinguish.

 

* * *

 

_I’m trapped in this god awful fucking place. I’ve got no connections, no way to contact the outside world, nothing. I’m screwed, I should have never taken on this mission, I should have never come here, I should have ne_

* * *

 

 

The rest of the page was filled with harsh, angry lines that were pressed into the page as if the papers made some great offense to the author. Blotches of ink spread out randomly across the surface. It was easy to tell that they were tear stains.

Ana’s hand swiftly flipped open items, checking dates, trying to figure out his identity, while Jack opened the next page of the book.

 

* * *

_Nov. 19, 20XX_

 

_Found a water source nearby. Monsters inhabit the place, it was hard to get by. Shotgun uses too much noise - I’ll find a way around the problem. For now, I managed to just fill up whatever water bottles I got._

_I need to find some better gear as well. I need to find my map or I’m stuck here forever. My clothes are worn, and it’s only been_ ~~_2_ _4_ _3_~~ _~~3~~ days here. _

_I need to get back to Blackwatch._

_I need to get back to Talon_

__\- Gabriel Reyes_ _  

* * *

 

Jack didn’t know what to think. The new rush of information was making his head spin. He stood still, shocked for a moment, before he hastily flipped a page, needing, craving to know more of the story. So absorbed in his search, he failed to notice Ana emptying one box entirely of its contents onto the floor and rechecking everything, the labels, everything, unable to believe what she was seeing. Had the slash to her eye affected her vision in any way?

 

* * *

_January 25, 20XX_

 

_Christ there’s someone to talk to. Finally_

_Her name’s Sombra. Mischievous nymph. She’s got an uncanny way of appearing in places you don’t expect. Her life force is tied to the purple shroud of ferns that grow up high in the trees, too high for any predators. Smart girl. Can confirm me a steady supply of items if I share some of my culture and story. She insists that I’m the weirdest thing she’s ever seen._

_Me, weird? She must be joking._

* * *

 

* * *

 ~~ _Jan_ _Febua_~~ _J ~~anua~~_

 

_New creature(?) Name is Bastion. Large deer, reference the old book I carry around. It’s got a buddy bird, about the size of stores. They’ve proven themselves to be peaceful, though provoked, can cause a shit load of damage._

_I mean, I got two new dents in the ground outside my house because of them. Holy shit._

_At least I’ve got a lower chance of getting any psychological damage, not when I have things to keep me occupied. When I get out of here, I can publish my adventures here. Sombra sure would like to be famous, wouldn’t she?_

_Maybe one day. It’ll be fun._

* * *

 

Most of the entries passed in a similar manner. Jack was about to scan through one more entry, but a shout of alarm made him jump.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

On instinct, Jack shoved the notebook into his pocket and whirled around. Reaper stood a few feet away, and even with his face hidden, it was easy to tell exactly how pissed he was. Ana doubled back, staring with her wide eye. The smoke that spilled from under his hood seemed to have double in intensity.

He surged forward with his fists tightly balled up, trembling with barely contained rage. “Leave. Now.” He hissed. “ **LEAVE**!”

Ana stood up with the same fiery stubbornness burning in her eye. “We’d leaving if you’d let us.” She spat spitefully, before brushing past him.

And out of nowhere, it was just the both of them.

Jack stumbled upright, and he swallowed nervously, before he scampered after Ana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Do you think we will find them? We... we have to, right?"
> 
> "It's been months. Months, liebe. I don't think... I don't want to believe it, but..."
> 
> "We can't give up now! We ain't gonna leave 'em stranded in there somewhere left to wander!"
> 
> A sigh. "... Let's keep looking."

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: http://awesomedragontamer.tumblr.com  
> Ask blog: http://askameliethefrenchgal.tumblr.com
> 
> YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCP9MZDny3PfsWmolutx674g


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